skinner



No. 6l7,865. Patented Jan. l7, I899 c. SKINNEB.

APPARATUS FOR SEP ARATING MATERIALS BY GENTRIFUGAL FORCE.

(Application med Dec. 7, 1896.)

3 Sheeis$heet L (No Model.)

Mfwwea: Imyazfir:

Patented lan.- [7, I899.

(Application filed Dec. '7, 1896.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

QNo Model.)

Patented Ian. l7, I899.

No. amass.

C. SKINNER. ATING MATERIALS BY GENTRIFUGAL F0 (Application filed Dec. 7,1896.)

RUE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPAR (No Model.)

3 SheetsSheet 3.

NI'IE COUR'ILAND SKINNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK(l.

AUSTIN, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,865, dated January17, 1899. Application filed December 7, 1896. 7 Serial No. 614,741. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OOURTLAND SKINNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chieago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forSeparating Materials by Centrifugal Force, of which the following is aspecification. v,

' My invention relates in general to centrifugal apparatus adapted fortreating pulverized or granular masses composed of substances havingdifferent degrees of specific gravity, so as to separate the heavierfrom the lighter ones, and it relates in particular to a variety ofcentrifugal apparatus in which the lighter particles oftheoutwardly-movin g mass of material are stopped and carried back inwardlyby an opposing fluid stream or current, while the heavier ones areallowed to continue their outward movement. y

In an application for Letters Patent of the United Statesserially'numbered 614, 7 40, filed contemporaneously herewith, I haveillustrated and described a novel and useful improvement in means forand method of treatin g materials in the above-mentioned manner.

The distinctive feature or characteristic feature of my said inventionis that the fluid stream or current isforced directly in opposition tothe outwardly flying material by means operated and controlledindependently of. the means by which the material is sub jected tocentrifugal force-that is,;the mate rials while, moving outwardlythrough the passages of the rotary receptacle are opposed by aninflowing fluid current which is varied independently of and withoutvarying the speed of the rotary receptacle; also, the arrangementpermits a variation of the outward movement of the materials through-said passages without varying the opposing fluidpressure. By so doing Iobtain certain novel 7 and useful results particularly set forth in mysaid other application. 7

In carrying out my invention I can force either a liquid, such aswater,or a gas, such as air, in opposition to the outwardly-projectedmaterial and to such end can employ means for supplying either a liquidor a gas under pressure. However, the apparatus which I nave inventedand which I desirably employ in carrying out my invention is preferablysomewhat modified when one or the other of such fluids is employed.Consequently I have set forth and claimed in my said other applicationboth the broader features of my invention and the minor features whichadapt it for utilizing a liquid as the opposing fluid and have hled thepresent application setting forth and claiming the features relatingparticularly to the use of a gas as the opposing fluid.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure] is a View illustrating anapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectionof the separator in which the separating process occurs, taken on aplane passing through the axis of rotation of its treatmentchamber; andFigs. 3 and 4: arehorizontal sections taken on lines 8 3 and I 4,respectively, in Fig. 2.

The material to be treated-sueh, for instance, as mineral-ore pulpisdesirably 0on fined in a dry state in a suitable reservoir,

such as the reservoir A, Fig. 1, which can be conveniently supportedupon a standard A .From the reservoir-A the material is fed to therotary treatment-chamber provided by a rotary receptacle 13 Fig. 2-as,for example, byway of a feed-pipe A, extending downward from thereservoir A through an opening in the top of the it aeptacle B and intol and nearly to the bottom or floor of the. lat-.

ter. The material thus delivered to, the rotary treatmentchamber isprojected .outwardly in all directions from the axis of rotation of thereceptacle IS in opposition to a gaseous stream or current which isforced into and inwardly within anexterior or surrounding gas-receivin gchamber conveniently provided by a vertically-arranged iuclosing shellor casing B-as, forv example, by way of a supply-pipe C, attached nearthe upper end of the latter, and thence into the rotarytreatment-chamber provided by the rotary receptacle B by way of suitableside openings with which the latter is provided. As a result theparticles of the lighter substance are stopped at the side openings of.the recep tacle B and carried back within the treatment-chamber whichit provides and are carwhile the particles of the heavier substancecontinue their outward movement through. the side openings' in therotary receptacle and into the chamber provided by the shell or casingB. preparatory to their recovery.

The construction and arrangement of the rotary reoep acle 13 itsinclosing shell or casing 13', and adjuncts, which together comprisewhat I term the separator, are in the main similar to the preferredconstruction andarrangement' of the corresponding members of theapparatus of my said other application, and hence will be describedherein only briefly. Thus briefly described the rotary receptaclecomprises a flat disk-shaped top having an opening which receives thefeedpipe A, a similarly shaped bottom, and an upwardly-flaring orconicallyi-shaped body portion secured in position between the top andbottom and .arranged with the opening ,of its upper end in communicationwith the opening of the top. The conical body portion, however, in placeof having longitudinal openings extending its entire length, as in theapparatus of my said .other application, is constructed with openingsonly at its upper end. In this Way the dry material fed into the lowerend of the receptacle providing the treatment-chamber works upwardly,and so acquires a uniform momentum'sufflcient for separating purposesbefore coming into opposition to the gaseous stream'or current. Theopenings at the upper end of the conical body portion of the receptacle1? are desirably formed by longitudinally-extending and inwardly-pointedslats b, which are arranged in circular form, withtheir outer edges inclose proximity to one another, and which are respectively inclinedtransversely from the radial. The rotary receptacle thus formed isconveniently mounted for rotation upon a vertically-arranged rotarydrivingshaft E, which is attached to the lower end of the receptacle andis provided with a suitable pulley E.

The upper end of the rotary receptacle B is desirably constructed with atubular cylindric extension B, which serves as an outlet for the gaseousstream or current and the lighter particles and also as a bearing orjournal for the upper end of the receptacle.

As a simple arrangement for receiving and removing the gas and lighterparticles arising .from the treatment-chamber byway of they tubularextension B", an annular vessel B having an internal opening B and isarranged above the casing 13' upper edge of the latter. The casing B isconveniently mounted upon a support orv ard' D. The portion of thechamber providedby the casing B, surrounding or exterior to a spout Band around the upper end of the extension 13, so that the lower edge ofits opening B registers with the thereceptacle B serves as a chamber forreceiving the heavier particles preparatory to their recovery. As anarrangement for withdrawing or recovering such heavy particles I I othergas can be forced into the separator by any suitable means adapted forsupplying a gas under pressure and capable of being regulated so as tovary such pressure. As one arrangementI have shown, Fig. 1, a rotary fanor blower 0, attached to the pipe 0 and adapted to supply air under apressure dependent upon its speed of rotation. In my said otherapplication I have shown a method of obtaining the relation which mustexist between the speed' of rotation of the rotary receptacle and thepressure under which the fluid issupplied. Such method islikewiseapplicable to the apparatus herein described, it being observed,however, that in water and in air a difierent ratio exists between equalfalling sizes of substances having unequal degrees of specific gravity.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A centrifugal separator comprising an outerstationary inclosin g shell or casin g, providing an exterior chamberadapted for primarily receiving and containing air under pressure, andalso for receivingthe comparatively heavy particles of material afterseparation and preparatory to recovery; means for supplying air underpressure, and an-internally-arranged rotary receptacle inclosed withinsaid shell or casing and providing a centrifugal treatm e'nt-chamberhaving its upper end provided with an opening adapted to serve both as amaterial-inlet and an air-outlet; said rotary receptacle also having itsside walls provided with openings adapted to serve both as inlets forthe air and as outlets for the comparativelyheavy particles of material,substantially as described.

2. In a separator in which the materials are separated by thecooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air, arotary material-receiving chamber adapted to sub ject the materials tocentrifugal force, and having upwardly flaring or divergent side walls;a feed-pipe arranged to deliver the materials to the said chamber at apoint near the latters lower end or bottom; means for rotating the saidchamber, and means for sup plying air under pressure; the said rotarychamber'being provided at its upper end with a series of side openingsor the saidmaterials and air will meet in opposition, the relativelyheavy particles of matter being allowed to pass out, while therelatively light particles are carried back into the rotary chamber and,with the air, discharged from the separator. i

3. In a separator in which the materials are separated by thecooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air underand air will meet in opposition, substantially as described.

4. In a separator in which the materials are separated by thecooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air, arotary material-receiving chamber adapted to sub= ject the materials tocentrifugal force, and having upwardly flaring or divergent side walls;the said rotary chamber being provided at its upper end with a series ofside openings or passages wherein the said materials and air will'meetin opposition; the relatively heavy particles of matter being allowed topass out, while the relatively light particles are carried back into therotary chamber, and with the air discharged from the separator;

means for supplying air under pressure, and means for preventingrotation on the part of the air outside of the said rotary receptacle;substantially as described.

5. In a separator in which the materials are separated by thecooperation of centrifugal force and an opposing current of air underpressure, a rotary receptacle having upwardly flaring or divergent sideWalls, the upper portions of said walls being composed of slats or thelike, arranged to provide side openings or passages for the admission ofair and wherein the said materials and air will meet in opposition; thesaid rotary receptacle being also provided with a top opening fordischarging the air and lighter particles of matter, substantially asdescribed. 7

GOURTLAND SKINNER

